Catalogue WAB 41 Text Tantum ergo | Form Hymn Language Latin | |
 | ||
Key B-flat major, A-flat major, E-flat major, C major Composed 1846 (1846): St. Florian Abbey | ||
The four Tantum ergo ("Let us raise"), WAB 41, are settings of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in 1846.
Contents
History
Bruckner composed these four motets A.M.D.G. in 1846 at the beginning of his stay in the St. Florian Abbey. The original manuscript, which was stored in the archive of Neuer Dom of Linz, became in between lost. Voice scores are still present in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.
In 1888, Bruckner revised these four settings, as well as the next setting in D major. The revised version of the five Tantum ergo was published first by Johann Groß, Innsbruck in 1893. In this first edition the ordering for the 4 compositions was deviating from the original ordering by the composer. The WAB ordering, which is based on this first edition, deviates also from the original ordering by the composer.
Both 1846 and 1881 versions are put in Band XXI/12 and 37 of the Gesamtausgabe, respectively.
Music
The works are scored for SATB choir and organ ad lib. The first setting, in B-flat major (WAB 41.3) is 25-bar long. The three other settings in A-flat major (WAB 41.4), E-flat major (WAB 41.1), and C major (WAB 41.2), are 24-bar long. Afterwards a 2- (3-)bar Amen was added to the settings.
In the 1888 version the settings are score for mixed choir a cappella. In the setting in E-flat major the Dresdner Amen is used on "ritui" (bars 15-16).
Selected discography
The first recording occurred in 1931:
1846 version
There is a single recording with all four Tantum ergo:
1888 version
There are three recordings with all four Tantum ergo: